Kilkenny IHL- Final quarter surge sees Mooncoin through

Mooncoin got the final three points as they claimed a thrilling victory over Tullogher Rosbercon in the final round of the intermediate league on Sunday afternoon.

Late scores from Sean O’Dwyer, Martin O’Neill and Stephen Crowley saw last year’s beaten county finalists come from behind to claim victory in what was a repeat of the 2021 junior county final and it had a similar result.

Tullogher lined up without the injured Walter Walsh and the three point loss cost them a place in the league final but they can have no complaints as Mooncoin played the better hurling in the second period.

The current junior All-Ireland champions had the backing of the wind in the first half and when racing into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead, they looked to be in control.

Mooncoin only scored two points from play in the first 30 minutes but a goal from Cormac Kinsella kept them very much in the fight as they went into the break on level terms (1-8 to 0-11).

Helped by an Andrew Murphy goal, Tullogher moved four points clear by the 38th minute but they were outscored 0-10 to 0-3 over the following 20 minutes or so as the side in green and white grabbed a fourth successive league victory.

Liam Hogan scored 10 points in total for Mooncoin and he got his side up and running with an opening minute free.

Before the wing forward converted his second free, Tullogher had hit five scores on the bounce in the shape of Cian O’Donoghue, Michael Handrick and Marty Murphy.

Mooncoin then got back into the game when Cormac Kinsella got his hurl to a point attempt from Liam Hogan and forced the ball past Davy Walsh in the Tullogher goal.

Through Cian O’Donoghue’s excellence on frees, Tullogher threatened to go further ahead but Mooncoin were very much still in the race at the halfway point as the teams remained deadlocked on the back of points from Martin O’Neill and Paul Henebery for the winners.

Hogan and O’Donoghue swapped further frees at the start of the second period before Tullogher then got on top with a well taken Andrew Murphy goal backing up another brace of frees from O’Donoghue.

The momentum that Tullogher had built up was been chipped away at though and by the halfway mark of the half, there was nothing between the team as the scoreboard stood at 1-16 each.

It was a top quality affair all the way through the 60 minutes and there was still a dramatic ending to come.

Mooncoin remained relentless in how they chased down the game with Sean O’Dwyer and Martin O’Neill both knocking over points from distance.

In between those two scores, Cian O’Donoghue had a free rebound off the post that would have squared things up for a twelfth time in total but that was Tullogher’s last opportunity after Mooncoin midfielder Stephen Crowley made it a three point game in stoppage time.

Teams and Scorers

Mooncoin - Liam Hogan (0-10, frees); Cormac Kinsella (1-0); Martin O’Neill (0-3); Stephen Crowley (0-2); Ciaran Quilty, Killian Hogan, Paul Henebery, Sean O’Dwyer (0-1 each).

Tullogher-Rosbercon - Cian O’Donoghue (0-10, 0-8 frees, 0-1 65); Andrew Murphy (1-1); Colman O’Sullivan (0-2); Danny Glennon, Michael Handrick (0-1 each).

Mooncoin - Donnacha Hogan; Sean Brennan, Cormac Daly, Ryan Carroll; Jim Delahunty, Paul Henebery, Martin O’Neill; Killian Hogan, Stephen Crowley; Liam Hogan, Oisin Henebery, Adam Croke; Ciaran Quilty, Cormac Kinsella, Stephen Wall.

Subs: Aidan Doyle for Brennan, 37 mins; Sean O’Dwyer for O Henebery, 41 mins; Mairtin Gannon for Kinsella, 48 mins.

Tullogher-Rosbercon - Davy Walsh; David Kennedy, Richie Gill, Sean Murray; Lar Murphy, Pat Hartley, Donncha O’Connor; Jamie Lyng, Colman O’Sullivan; Michael Handrick, Marty Murphy, Conor Hennessy; Andrew Murphy, Cian O’Donoghue, Danny Glennon.

Subs: Simon Kennedy for Handrick, 55 mins.

Referee - Eoin Maher (Mullinavat)